No, it was nothing Carnegie. More likely some passage in the Carnegie influenced the writer of it. Nor a self-help book. It was nothing that has ever been a "popularly" read management book. It wasn't "original thought", it was just well written and easily understood, some concepts tied together "originally" if you will - and therefore valuable.

Just a simple explanation of the effects of rewarding poor behavior, reasons to only reward good behavior, quite a lot of clear commentary about the types of rewards most people are really after, which is to say - everyone isn't after the big buck, people are different and there are 7 or 8 common things that one of which is probably most people's main concern and -- often much easier for a supervisor to provide than money - and that if you don't give these things to people exhibiting poor behavior, then they will mean something to the ones performing their jobs in an exemplary manner. If you rigorously NEVER give them to people exhibiting poor behavior. That's one of the important parts. Let nothing slide. It was one of those "oh, doh.." moments for a technoweenie that upper management thought was a great manager but had just been getting along on his instincts rather than any real training.

It was just some book sent by the AMA bookclub (American Management Assoc) in the mid 80's. Geez, I had my hands on it a few months ago. heh, It obviously sunk in.. I just can't remember the name of it. I just wanted to share it in the hopes it might help someone else. All that management experience isn't helping me find a job heh because I don't and never really wanted to be a manager. I was tempted by the big buck myself for 25 years and now I'm old enough to just want to do something gruntlike (but only very well) and be judged by only my own performance.

John has written a fair bit of stuff, but mostly under pseudonyms or as a ghost writer.

One of his treasured memories about Armor was getting a note from Heinlein about it saying how impressed he was the second time he read it.

He also tells a hilarious story about being at a conference with Jerry Pournelle, and the two of them Not Getting Along. In fact, Not Getting Along to the point of "Okay. Step outside, and let's settle this man to man!" But not actually getting to that point because before punches were thrown, John said "Jerry, wait!" "Why?" "Because Bob Heinlein is gonna be here, and you gotta introduce me to him and say something nice about me!"
______Dennis

No, it was nothing Carnegie. .. reasons to only reward good behavior, quite a lot of clear commentary about the types of rewards most people are really after, which is to say - everyone isn't after the big buck ...

I realize it wasn't Carnegie, I only mentioned him because he also speaks of non-monetary rewards. As I recall, there's a line in there about how Napoleon realized that you could control people with "toys" such as job titles that involved no extra pay. He also spoke of the need to be sincere in offering praise. He didn't believe in giving praise or offering rewards bad behavior, but he did recognize the need to recognize and quickly reward the good. That's why I said that perhaps the book you speak of influenced Carnegie.

Awesomely priced at Cyberread ($9.95), I would advise anyone to pick up this collection of Chekhov's short novels.. They're 5 wonderful stories that come in at about 100-120pp each. While I know these hardly count as "unknown" works, Goodreads tells me that sadly few people actually read them, and it seems that most people only read his short stories, and miss out on these short novels. Chekhov's writings are a lot lighter than D's, or Tolstoy's, but they contain wonderful little ironies, and generally make fun of people who take themselves too seriously.

[QUOTE=Dr. Drib;174758]Edwin Mullhouse: The Life and Death of An American Writer 1943-1954, by Jeffrey CartwriightAuthor: Steven Millhauser

Thank you sooooo much for this post. You may have saved my writing life. I'm writing a novel (ten years on and treading water here, you can imagine). I googled Obscure novels. Found Mullhouse. Only read a little. Oh, can't wait to savor it. Thank you again, a million-trillion times. Forever. That's what books can do. I'm going to say it again, thank you.

My recommendation would be one that should be mentioned in the same breath as Alas, Babylon or On the Beach as a classic of nuclear war/apocalyptic literature: Level 7 by Mordecai Roshwald-

''Level 7 is the diary of Officer X-127, who is assigned to stand guard at the "Push Buttons," a machine devised to activate the atomic destruction of the enemy, in the country’s deepest bomb shelter. Four thousand feet underground, Level 7 has been built to withstand the most devastating attack and to be self-sufficient for five hundred years. Selected according to a psychological profile that assures their willingness to destroy all life on Earth, those who are sent down may never return.''

Skallagrigg by William Horwood. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it many more times. One of my favourite books - no longer in print and not available as an ebook.

Quote:

The story concerns Arthur, a young boy suffering from cerebral palsy, abandoned in a grim hospital in the north of England and subject to extreme cruelty and neglect; Esther, a keenly intelligent teenager who also suffers from CP but whose talents are recognised in these enlightened days; and Daniel, an American computer-gaming genius. They are linked by the Skallagrigg; whatever or whoever it is will transform their lives. Esther sets out on a quest to find the truth of the Skallagrigg, founded in the life and experiences of Arthur. She encapsulates what she finds in a tortuously complex computer game, knowing that the truth is never likely to be uncovered. A man named Martin has heard the word Skallagrigg from his senile grandmother and when he hears of Skallagrigg the game, he is determined to solve it and discover what it means...

Absolutely bloody marvellous. I have the hardback which was hunted down for me as a gift and I really need to read it again one of these days.

Also, not an obscure author as such, but A. A. Attanasio's Wyvern is another one of my favourite adventure novels that doesn't seem to have stayed in print - Attanasio's debut novel as I understand it. It's available quite cheaply as an ebook. Usually $2.99 - but watch for Amazon sales where the price drops to $0.00.

Quote:

Headhunters, sorcerers, pirates and Indian princes thrive in this exciting and poetic tale of a young outcast in Borneo. Born in 1609, son of a native woman and a Dutch sea captain he never knew, Jaki Gefjon grows up in the jungle as a sorcerer's apprentice. Later kidnapped by pirates, he befriends his captor, Trevor Pym, notorious for his dreaded man-of-war, Wyvern. The scientific marvels on the European privateer become the young soul-catcher’s passion—until he falls for Lucinda, the headstrong daughter of Pym's sworn enemy. Propelled by intrigue, pirates' battles, curses and visions, this seafaring saga takes Lucinda and Jaki from the South Seas to India—and to a bold, unforeseen destiny in the New World. Join the journey!

I thoroughly recommend the Otto Prohaska books by John Biggins. Someone loaned me a paper copy of A Sailor of Austria years ago, and when I looked for a copy for my Kindle, I discovered there are four books in the series. I've now read two, and need to get around to reading the other two.

I guess they're best described as humorous historical adventure fiction. The main character, Otto Prohaska, is an officer in the Austro-Hungarian navy when WW1 breaks out. In the first book, he's the captain of a submarine. He has some bizarrely comical adventures, and the writing is laced with humour. "I can still say with complete confidence that no one can claim to have plumbed the depths of human misery who has not shared the fore-ends of a submarine with a camel."

The books are well researched, and do an excellent job of describing the oddities of life in the Austro-Hungarian navy in the dying days of the empire.

I thoroughly recommend the Otto Prohaska books by John Biggins. Someone loaned me a paper copy of A Sailor of Austria years ago, and when I looked for a copy for my Kindle, I discovered there are four books in the series. I've now read two, and need to get around to reading the other two.

I guess they're best described as humorous historical adventure fiction. The main character, Otto Prohaska, is an officer in the Austro-Hungarian navy when WW1 breaks out. In the first book, he's the captain of a submarine. He has some bizarrely comical adventures, and the writing is laced with humour. "I can still say with complete confidence that no one can claim to have plumbed the depths of human misery who has not shared the fore-ends of a submarine with a camel."

The books are well researched, and do an excellent job of describing the oddities of life in the Austro-Hungarian navy in the dying days of the empire.

This sounded so exactly my kind of thing that I went ahead and bought all four books for less than $5 each at Kobo while vouchercodes40 still works. Thanks.

Returning the favor in kind, I'd like to recommend the Bandy books by Canadian humorist Donald Jack. They tell the hilarious adventures of hapless and horsefaced Bartholomew Bandy, during WWI and immediately after. Kobo has the first six books (couponable) of which I've read four; I'm trying to make them last.